Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I think everyone in this House can agree that mobile service requirements across regional communities are very, very different than they are across metropolitan communities. I would hope it's the will of every person in this place—and, indeed the other place—that we work on something that actually delivers consistent change, that delivers priority to people in disaster-prone communities, that delivers productivity to our regional communities. That's why sometimes it's so gobsmacking to hear contributions like what we just heard, which was: there is a problem, but we don't want you to fix it in this way.

There is no doubt in my mind that our telco providers are beholden to their shareholders. They are for-profit organisations. But they also have an obligation to provide services to every community across the country, and this is one way that our government wants to hold those telcos to account, to say, 'You need to do better and you need to do better for every Australian, not just Australians in our cities.' That's why today I'm rising to speak in support of the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation—because it establishes a new framework to create this obligation. It complements the existing universal service obligation, which applies to fixed voice services and payphones—which are also incredibly important right across our community—but this is a significant and important reform that will bring mobile services within that universal services framework. More Australians now have mobile devices than have landlines, so it's important that as government and as parliament we ask the telcos to make sure that they are providing universal services to mobile phones.

We want to make sure Australians are better connected through these laws. It will require our national carriers—Telstra, Optus and TPG—to provide access to SMS and voice coverage for Australians nationwide—almost anywhere you can see the sky. That's incredibly important not only in my own electorate of Eden-Monaro but in every electorate. Whether you're in a national park, on a hiking trail or out on a farm, outdoor coverage needs to be more accessible. These changes are expected to add five million square kilometres of basic outdoor SMS and voice coverage across the country. That, to me, is a game changer. It'll be made possible by a combination of existing terrestrial towers and new 'low Earth orbit satellite' technology, which allows for mobile signals to connect direct to device rather than rely on land based infrastructure.

Yes, the bill has a proposed default date of 1 December 2027, at which time all three operators will be required to ensure that baseline mobile coverage is reasonably available outdoors throughout Australia. As someone from a regional community, I know how important connectivity is for our regions. This is a really important reform that will continue to improve connectivity for people in regional, rural and remote Australia. From the outback to the coast to the mountains, black spots are frustrating, and they make doing even the most basic tasks difficult. Improved connectivity not only allows people to keep in touch with one another but it means safer roads, stronger businesses and more access to key services.

Telecommunications are vital across regional Australia and, in particular, in times of natural disaster or when there's an emergency. We're currently in the middle of high-risk weather season. As the Minister for Emergency Management, I've heard from communities across Australia, including in Deputy Speaker Chesters' electorate, that staying connected during a disaster is absolutely critical. That's why last week I announced AusAlert, which is a new cell broadcast national messaging system. It will use the latest technology to enable authorities, including states and territories, to send geographically targeted emergency messages to all compatible mobile devices within a 160-metre accuracy of where the incident is occurring. This system won't be impacted by telecommunications network congestion, which means it will help communities get access to information sooner to understand risks and to make decisions about their own personal safety.

This is a really important project that will help us and emergency service organisations warn people when they are in harm's way. It doesn't rely on any one telco provider, which is critical, and I know the member for Gippsland and I had those situations in the Black Summer bushfires. Some people didn't receive their emergency text message, because their provider didn't have a tower close to them. This will help save lives and it will protect property during a disaster, which will deliver on a key finding from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. AusAlert is another major development in Australia's emergency communication landscape, and both the establishment of AusAlert and the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation highlight the government's commitment to improve communications during a disaster.

The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation will expand baseline mobile coverage. It'll improve public safety by enabling connectivity to essential services, like AusAlert, and to triple zero. I'm proud that the government is taking connectivity seriously. It wants to ensure that there are industry standards that are enforceable. Our Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation will require mobile carriers to provide access to voice and SMS calls to huge areas of receptions that are currently in dead zones across the country. As I said, this policy will improve public safety. It'll increase resilience during times of natural disaster and provide an extra layer of coverage in areas previously thought too difficult or too costly to reach.

Since coming to government, we have taken a range of actions to improve connectivity. The government is delivering resilient communication infrastructure to help boost connectivity and narrow the connectivity divide in regional communities. Our Mobile Black Spot Program is one of the largest ever mobile coverage expansions in regional and remote Australia. It helps communities to be more connected than ever across the country. A few months ago, Mount Kosciuszko, which is one of Australia's most popular inland tourist destinations, received a major connectivity boost. A new mobile base station was completed, which provided new and improved 4G and 5G mobile coverage to that community.

Mount Kosciuszko attracts millions of visitors each year, and this new facility is providing better access to emergency services, improving data connectivity and supporting productivity at the nearby tourist park. This upgrade has made a huge difference to the mobile coverage at the Kosciuszko Tourist Park, supporting tourists, supporting locals to run their businesses and helping people to keep in touch with family and friends. Upgrades like this are not only important to locals and to visitors but critical for emergency services during emergencies. In other great news for regional connectivity, round 8 of the Mobile Black Spot Program will be announced soon. This $55 million investment will target natural disaster prone locations in regional and rural Australia to better assist local communities during and after an emergency.

The Mobile Black Spot Program is part of the Albanese government's Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, which is delivering more than $1.1 billion to rural and regional communities. Other programs include the Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program, the Regional Connectivity Program and the On Farm Connectivity Program. We're delivering $50 million for the Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program, which is a government initiative to improve multicarrier mobile coverage on highways and major roads in regional and remote Australia. This includes funding for pilot programs in the states and the NT to help improve safety on our roads, to strengthen economic growth, to improve social connectivity and to support regional development. These pilot programs will test new and innovative solutions to increase mobile communications coverage on some of our regional highways and major roads. Another important program is the Regional Connectivity Program, which is funding the delivery of place based telecommunications infrastructure projects to improve digital connectivity across regional, rural and remote Australia. Round 3 has awarded over $115 million towards 74 projects that respond to local priorities.

The On Farm Connectivity Program will see $53 million allocated across three rounds to enable primary producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries to extend connectivity in their fields and take advantage of connected machinery and sensor technology. After two successful rounds already, over $30 million has been invested to help primary producers implement connectivity solutions that have transformed their day-to-day operations, transformed farm management and helped with safety—including for graziers like Michael from the Riverina, who has purchased an automated rain gauge and an accompanying water tank level sensor. The water tank level sensor, placed on one of Michael's existing water tanks, alerts Michael via phone and email if issues arise and provides him peace of mind knowing that his cattle will have access to enough water. Twenty million dollars is being committed to round 3 of the program, with applications expected to open in the second quarter of this year.

These are all really important projects for people across regional communities. As I said, regional communities like mine know how important it is to be able to take advantage of new technologies, to stay connected, to work smarter and to access services. No matter where you live, you should be able to receive reliable telco services. I echo the words of the National Farmers' Federation:

For too long, farmers and people in the bush have been on the wrong side of the digital divide.

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For farmers, mobile connectivity isn't a luxury, it is essential for safety, their businesses, connecting families, and staying safe in emergencies.

It has taken a Labor government to improve connectivity in the bush and on our farms because only Labor is focused on delivering for regional Australia. I commend the bill to the House.

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